How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 381: Alice Holloway~3

Seeing this place in real life really hits different.

No matter how realistic the gameʼs visuals had been, they could never fully capture this overwhelming emptiness.

Everything was white—

The sky.

The ground.

The endless horizon stretching in all directions.

An infinite, colorless wasteland.

I had seen something similar before—

The White Dungeon.

But compared to this, that place had been a mere recreation—a shallow imitation nowhere near the true scale of the White Realm.

It was only now, standing here with my own eyes, that I realized just how vast and unnatural this realm truly was.

It didnʼt feel like a place that should exist.

Yet, here I was.

Cheshire, still in his cat form, rested in my arms as I sprinted forward, my mana sense expanding as I searched for Alice.

His tail flicked lazily before he glanced up at me, his red eyes glinting with curiosity.

”So... care to explain how you managed to get here, Riley~?”

His voice was casual, but I could tell he was genuinely curious.

”I know youʼve got some hidden strength inside you, but I donʼt think you have the power or knowledge to pull off something as complex as Celestial Magic to enter this realm…”

A slight smirk tugged at his lips as if he expected me to dodge the question.

I didnʼt answer immediately.

Instead, I kept running, my mind quickly weighing how much I should tell him.

Lying here would only make things more complicated.

And I didnʼt want to make myself look more suspicious than I already did.

So, I decided to be honest.

”I entered through a spatial rift.”

”Oh?”

”It was underneath the Covan Cave—deep inside.”

Cheshireʼs ears perked up.

”Covan Cave?”

His brows furrowed slightly, as if the name sounded vaguely familiar.

”Itʼs a cave located at the very center of the Forest of Monsters near the academy.”

At that, his tail stiffened slightly.

”There was a spatial rift there? Hm…”

His voice trailed off, his crimson eyes narrowing.

For the first time since our conversation started, he looked genuinely troubled.

”Thatʼs weird,” he muttered.

”I was extra careful to close all the rifts connected to the White Realm.”

His tone had lost its usual playful edge.

”...So how the hell did I miss that one?”

ʼWell, of course you wouldnʼt….ʼ

I adjusted my grip on Cheshire as I kept running.

That rift inside Covan Cave wasnʼt connected to the White Realm in the first place.

There was no need for him to know that the rift was actually a spatial remnant—one of the last relics left behind by the Grand Magus Archmage Lavine Chronos before she sealed herself away in the astral planes of space and time.

I could tell he was intrigued by the thought of missing such an important rift, but I wasnʼt about to give him the full in-game lore dump.

That information wasnʼt relevant right now.

A simple explanation would do.

”It might be because the rift I entered didnʼt emit any connective energy to this place.”

Cheshire narrowed his eyes.

”Then how come youʼre here right now?”

”I just thought about finding Senior.”

Silence.

Then—

Cheshire let out a slow, exaggerated sigh, his tail flicking in amusement.

”...Well, ainʼt that stupidly romantic.”

He smirked, shaking his head.

”But if it was a wild spatial rift like you described, then I kinda get it.”

His red eyes gleamed with interest.

”A wild rift without designated coordinates often lets your thoughts and will guide your destination…”

He tilted his head, giving me a mischievous grin.

”Though itʼs still insanely dangerous.”

His gaze flickered over me, as if finally taking in my full body as intriguing.

”Itʼs actually a miracle that all your limbs are still attached, Riley~.”

In the game, the rift inside Covan Cave was originally designed as a hidden fast-travel mechanic.

Players could use it to teleport to almost every major location in the game, though only once per in-game day.

I had been worried that its intended effect might not work when I hurriedly stepped inside, especially since this wasnʼt a game anymore.

But I guess I was worried for nothing…

Still, it wouldʼve been far better if I had been teleported directly to Senior Aliceʼs side.

Unfortunately, I couldnʼt complain too much, given how urgent the situation was.

The White Queen had moved faster than expected.

I clenched my jaw.

I knew I shouldnʼt have ignored Seniorʼs serious expression yesterday—it was a rare trait she displayed whenever she was dealing with a hidden problem.

But there was no use regretting anything now.

The scenario might have played out a little differently compared to the game, but the White Queenʼs strategy remained the same: separate Alice from Cheshire.

My gaze flickered to Cheshire, who was steadily gathering mana.

Although I had purified the effects of the Vorpal Sword using my Divinity, Cheshireʼs poisoned soul would still take time to fully recover.

It would take a while before he could fight freely, but he should at least be able to activate [Wonderland] for a couple of minutes in case of an emergency.

But I didnʼt have time to wait.

If my guess was correct, Alice was already fighting right now.

She was strong—there was no doubt about that.

By now, she had likely awakened her [Red Queen] abilities, but even that wouldnʼt be enough.

Not against the White Queen.

Especially if the Hatter and the White Rabbits were there.

Without Cheshire regulating her power, it was only a matter of time before she reached her bad end.

A fate of death… just like mine.

Everything about Senior Aliceʼs bad end was slowly falling into place, just like it had in the game.

The realization irritated me to no end.

Clenching my jaw, I hastened my movement, pushing more mana into my body.

I activated my skills in quick succession—

[Skill: Blink Step – Activated!]

[Skill: Dashing Sprint – Activated!]

”Woaaahh~~~~!”

Cheshire let out a startled scream as my speed surged.

But I ignored him.

Fate and death—

Two words that annoyed me the most right now.

Two words that dragged up unwanted memories of that trial.

Time within this realm moved differently from the outside world.

And even within this place… time flowed inconsistently.

I needed to hurry.

[Note: The blessing within you is waking up…]

I clenched my fists, feeling something stir deep inside me.

”Cheshire,” I called out, my voice steady despite the urgency. ”Expand your mana and guide me toward Senior.”

Cheshire, sensing the seriousness in my tone, didnʼt bother with his usual snark. Instead, he nodded silently and let his mana spread outward.

As one of the few beings capable of altering the rules of this maddening realm, he was the only one I could rely on to find Alice through the thick mana interference the White Queen had placed here.

A moment later, his voice rang in my ears.

”Go straight, Riley…”

That direction, huh?

Before us stood a mountain-like white castle, floating ominously in the distance.

Its sheer presence sent shivers down my spine, warping reality itself.

This place really was insane.

But if that was where Alice was—

Then my hunch was correct.

[Skill: Golden Lightning – Activated!]

A surge of blinding gold energy crackled around me as my speed exploded once more.

I pressed forward, calling out to the being resting deep within me.

ʼValeria… wake up.ʼ

Now was not the time for hesitation.

Now was the time to save the person who had given me a reason to move forward.

There was a reason why you were always by my side in every playthrough I had in [Heroʼs Legacy.]

No matter the cost no matter the downsides you were always there...

You—

The one who brought a smile to my face when I had nothing.

The one who made everything interesting and fun.

The bright figure that made me hope for a better future...

The light that was always by my side.

A hidden heroine destined to die…

No. Not anymore.

It was time to rewrite that fate.

For your sake—

I would risk everything I had.

Failing Dorothy was already enough.

This time, Iʼll make sure you get your happy ending, Alice.

SWOOOSHH!!!!

My body shot forward like a streak of golden lightning.

ʼWait for me, Senior….ʼ

…..

WOOOOOOOSSHHHH!!!!

The battlefield trembled under the weight of an unrelenting war.

Across the vast white lands, a colossal battle raged on, shaking the very foundation of reality.

Skirmishes erupted like wildfire, spreading chaos in every direction.

Towering structures crumbled in mere seconds, their remains vanishing beneath the storms of magic tearing through the air.

Screams and war cries echoed across the land, blending into a cacophony of destruction.

Magic clashed relentlessly, crashing into every corner of the battlefield.

Blinding explosions of red and white painted the skies as the sound of metal colliding rang like a thousand fireworks bursting at once.

The earth screamed and cracked, shattering beneath the weight of battle.

The skies roared with thunder, streaks of red lightning crashing down in response to the chaos below.

An army—divided into red and white—stood locked in endless war.

A battle so grand, so devastating, that one might mistake it for the recreation of ancient legends.

—

Above it all, she stood.

A lone red witch, her presence an unyielding beacon amidst the storm of war.

She adjusted her crooked witchʼs hat, her body trembling, pain crawling through her every limb.

Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth and eyes, staining her pale skin.

Her eyes—glowing, bloody red—stared forward, filled with unwavering determination.

The very space around her warped and twisted, unable to contain the immense energy surging within her.

Yet—despite the agony clawing at her soul, despite the pain screaming in her body—she did not waver.

Her wand remained raised, her grip steady.

She trusted her knights and armies to hold the lines.

She ignored the relentless throbbing in her heart, pushing through the exhaustion, the pain, the overwhelming urge to let it all end.

Because she couldnʼt afford to stop now.

—

Across from her, the White Queen smiled.

A cold, knowing smile.

She, too, stood unfazed amidst the blood-soaked battlefield, her white robes untouched by the war raging below.

Her gleaming staff rose, pointed straight at Alice.

Just like before.

Just like the first time they had encountered one another.

There were no words between them.

No need for them.

This was a reunion between mother and child.

And yet—

A reunion that had turned into a battle for survival.

Their mana surged—clashing, intertwining, consuming the sky in a storm of power.

And just like that—

The next chapter of their battle began.